Rare 1872 Dime Errors (List & Pictures)
Some 1872 dime errors put extra shapes beside letters; others leave numeral pieces far from the date. Estimated whole-coin values span $30–$4,000, including a pronounced doubled reverse graded PCGS MS63 that sold for $3,360 in April 2025.
Examine DIME and the wreath first, then distinguish date remnants, misplaced numerals, and transferred clash traces.
| Inspection clue | Feature | Estimated whole-coin range |
|---|---|---|
| Spaces within E partly close | Partially filled E | $30–$300 |
| Coordinated extra detail beside E, inside D, and above NE | Doubled die reverse | $500–$4,000 for the pronounced regular variety |
| Raised lines cross wreath leaves | Wreath die cracks | $30–$400 |
| Earlier strokes beside 2 or 72 | Repunched date | $50–$2,000 across regular strikes and Proofs |
| Numeral pieces in gown or base | Misplaced date digits | $75–$2,500 |
| Shapes borrowed from the opposite face | Clashed dies | $500–$3,500 for the F-105 combination |
1. 1872 Dime Openings within E look partly closed: Partially Filled E Error
The spaces between E’s horizontal strokes appear reduced on reported 1872 examples. Fortin’s gallery shows the appearance on more than one pairing of obverse and reverse dies.
“Partially filled” describes what the letter looks like. It does not establish grease as the cause, because raised metal, absent detail, or material resting on the surface can each change an opening’s appearance.
How to Identify
Compare E with a normal example under a 10× magnifier, retaining DIME and the nearby wreath in view. Move the light to determine whether the apparent closure is part of the metal or something on its surface.
Do not scrape the letter to test it. Check the complete obverse against the corresponding catalog picture, since an isolated filled-looking space does not establish the same tool pairing.
The original 90% silver dime weighed approximately 2.49 grams and measured 17.9 millimeters, with a grooved edge. General measurements of an accessible coin support its identity but do not explain the letter’s shape.
What It’s Worth
The estimate is $30–$300 for worn through lightly worn whole coins with the matching E. It assumes a feature of the coin as struck rather than dirt or later damage.
No auction price is attached to the illustrated examples. Do not transfer the much higher doubled-reverse sale to a partially closed letter merely because both features affect DIME.
2. 1872 Dime Extra design crowds E, D, and NE: Doubled Die Reverse Error
The pronounced regular-strike variety has extra raised detail between E and the right wreath, inside D, and above NE. These locations form a coordinated repeated design.
A master stamp impressed the reverse into the working die twice at angles about 175 degrees apart. That near-half-turn occurred during tool preparation, not between the two faces of the finished coin.
The reverse die was later paired with more than one obverse. Collector Proofs also have a separately reported doubled left wreath, which requires a different comparison.
How to Identify
View DIME and the right wreath together beside Fortin’s F-105 photograph. Check all three named areas rather than accepting an isolated bump or flat shelf.
Do not flip the coin to measure 175 degrees. The relevant evidence is the arrangement of repeated reverse details created in the tool.
For a Proof with left-wreath doubling, select its own reference. A reflective surface or some extra leaf detail does not identify the dramatic regular-strike pattern.
What It’s Worth
The pronounced regular variety has an estimated $500–$4,000 whole-coin range. The PCGS MS63 F-105/FS-801 sold for $3,360 on April 6, 2025.
MS63 indicates an unworn coin with noticeable marks. Its result belongs to that variety and condition level.
The separate Proof left-wreath doubling has an estimated $600–$2,000 range across collectible Proof grades. It does not inherit the regular-strike auction result.
3. 1872 Dime Raised lines cross individual wreath sections: Wreath Die Cracks Error
One recorded example has a lower-right wreath crack, while another has stronger left-side cracks around nine to ten o’clock. These are separate routes, not a single required network on every 1872 dime.
Silver entered cracks in the dies and formed raised ridges. Branching can reveal further tool damage without proving that a large fragment had already fallen away at the rim.
How to Identify
Keep DIME upright and select the correct region before following the line. Compare either the lower-right route or the separate left-side pattern with its own photograph.
Under side lighting, trace the ridge through leaves and junctions. A scratch cuts inward and need not reproduce the reference’s path.
Check the full route rather than one bright segment. The neighboring leaves establish where the crack belongs in the design.
What It’s Worth
The whole-coin estimate is $30–$400 for worn through lightly worn Philadelphia examples. No recorded auction amount is assigned to these pictured reverses.
A readable network can attract more interest than a faint line lost in wear. The surrounding wreath and surface condition remain part of the valuation.
4. 1872 Dime Earlier numeral pieces border 2 or 72: Repunched Date Error
Some regular 1872 dates are described as having a triple-punched 2, while others show repeated 72. Collector Proofs also occur with repeated 72, but their manufacturing category must remain distinct.
Each pattern records earlier positions of the date punch in the die. The surviving numeral pieces sit beside the intended date rather than elsewhere in Liberty’s clothing or base.
How to Identify
Photograph all four digits with the base above them. Compare the raised remnants around 2 or 72 with the exact obverse reference and the correct Proof or regular-strike category.
Several apparent positions should resemble actual numeral parts. Scratches or flattened edges following a number need a different explanation.
Keep stray pieces in the gown out of the date-remnant test. Both kinds of marks may share a coin, but their locations record different punch placement mistakes.
What It’s Worth
Estimates are $50–$1,000 for worn through lower-grade unworn regular strikes and $600–$2,000 for matching Proofs. These ranges value complete coins.
Some obverses also carry misplaced numeral pieces elsewhere. The higher-grade combined-feature sale discussed next does not establish a fixed bonus for every repeated 2.
5. 1872 Dime Numeral fragments appear in the gown or base: Misplaced Date Digits Error
The auctioned F-102 shows faint numeral pieces in the gown near the end of the shield ribbon. A separate obverse has an extra 2 in the seated base beneath the pendant, and other reports describe a misplaced 8.
These marks resulted from a date punch entering the die away from its intended position. The extra-2 obverse is known on both Proofs and regular strikes.
The locations are not interchangeable. An 8 should not be assigned to the extra 2’s position without evidence from its own example.
How to Identify
Locate the ribbon end and pendant as landmarks before studying an unfamiliar stroke. Inspect the nearby gown for F-102, or the base below the pendant for the separate extra-2 pattern.
Compare the suspected fragment with normal clothing folds. A genuine misplaced numeral needs a matching raised form and position, not merely an unexplained line.
Retain a complete obverse photograph for any reported misplaced 8, and confirm ONE DIME on the reverse. Keep Proof and regular-strike references separate when evaluating the same general feature.
What It’s Worth
The supplied whole-coin range is $75–$2,500 across worn, unworn, and Proof examples. Comparisons should remain within similar manufacturing categories and grades.
An NGC MS65+ F-102 with CAC approval sold for $1,116.25 on February 5, 2016. That is a well-preserved unworn gown-fragment example.
A misplaced 2 or 8 elsewhere does not inherit that coin’s grade or exact result. Several visible punch features on one dime still receive one overall valuation.
6. 1872 Dime Opposite-side shapes intrude into open areas: Clashed Dies Error
The F-105 combination has strong clash traces on both faces along with its doubled reverse. An earlier pairing of the same doubled reverse with another obverse lacks those traces.
A clash occurs when the dies meet without a blank between them and pick up parts of the opposing design. Later coins can receive those transferred shapes.
The crowded area between E and the right wreath belongs to the doubled reverse described earlier. It should not be counted again as the clash evidence.
How to Identify
Inspect near the seated base on the obverse and in the open reverse areas. Look for recognizable shapes that correspond to parts of the opposite face.
Compare both complete sides with the F-105 pairing rather than the earlier unclashed combination. The matching obverse is important even when the doubled reverse is obvious.
A weak or flat head alone does not prove a clash. Exclude the doubled E-to-wreath area and evaluate the actual transferred traces in their pictured positions.
What It’s Worth
The estimated range is $500–$3,500 for the clashed F-105 combination, from worn through attractive lower-grade unworn coins. Its doubled reverse contributes substantially to collector interest.
The $3,360 MS63 result provides context for that doubled-reverse variety, not an isolated price for clash marks. Adding full clash and doubled-die estimates would count the same coin twice.
Conclusion
Location separates these features: partly closed letter spaces, repeated reverse contours, cracks through leaves, and misplaced numerals are different observations. The 175-degree figure concerns die preparation, while clash evidence depends on the correct obverse and reverse pairing.
Within the $30–$4,000 estimates, compare the actual variety, manufacturing method, and preservation. Multiple features on one specimen contribute to one complete-coin assessment.
